Alarm device for a horological instrument

ABSTRACT

A horological instrument includes a source of electrical energy and an electrical audible alarm. The circuit between the energy source and the alarm is normally open. A setting stem rotates a geared disc. The disc carries a conductive track and a conductive contact point. The contact point, normally twice a day, contacts a portion of the hour wheel, closing the circuit and allowing the alarm to sound.

United States Patent Paul Wuthrich Woodbury, Conn. 820,189

Apr. 29, 1969 Aug. 3, 197 1 Time: Corporation Waterbury, Conn.

inventor Appl. No. Filed- Patented Assignee ALARM DEVICE FOR AHOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENT 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl

Int. Cl

Field 01 Search 58/19, 58/57.S G04c 21/20 58/19. 19 A, 19 B, 57.5

t I I I s [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 371,696 10/1887Meads 58/19 1,037,130 8/1912 Christianson... 58/19 1,383,560 7/19210sieck..... 58/19 1,521,600 1/1925 Crowe..... 58/19 1,529,852 3/1925'langlin 58/57.5

Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Lawrence R.Franklin Attorney-Richard A. Joel ABSTRACT: A horological instrumentincludesa source of electrical energy and an electrical audible alarm.The circuit between the energy source and the alarm is normally open. Asetting stem rotates a geared disc. The disc carries a conductive trackand a conductive contact point. The contact point, normally twice a day,contacts a portion of the hour whe closing the circuit and allowing thealarm to sound.

PATENTED AUG 319m SHEET 1 BF 2 ALARM DEVICE FOR A HOROLOGICAL INSTRUMENTDESCRIPTION This invention relates to an alarm device for a horologicalinstrument. More particularly, this invention relates to analarm-setting device for a wristwatch.

Alarm clocks, alarm clock devices, and alarm Wristwatches are wellknown. Alarm Wristwatches are useful and desirable, but heretofore theyhave proven generally to be relatively bulky and unattractive inappearance, and cumbersome and awkward to wear. Compared to ordinarywatches, alarm wristwatches are relatively expensive. Watchmanufacturers have been forced to sell alarm Wristwatches at a pricewhich places them above the reach of many consumers. in large part, thisis attributable to the fact that a large number of additional parts arerequired to convert a wristwatch to an alarm wristwatch. This makes forincreased production cost. Further, the incorporation of theseadditional parts increase the size of the wristwatch and makes it bulkyand unattractive in appearance.

It is the objective of the present invention to provide a setting devicefor an alarm in a horological instrument, which setting device usesrelatively few parts, is relatively inexpensive, and does not add to thesize of the horological movement.

The present device is intended to overcome the above-men tioned defectsof the prior art. According to the present invention, an alarm-settingdevice is provided for a horologieal instrument, which alarm deviceadvantageously contains few parts. This makes for ease of manufactureand decreases production cost. Further, the alarm-setting device of thepresent invention, in view of its few parts, is suitable forincorporation in a wristwatch.

A dial is mounted on an electrically conductive horological movement. Anelectrically nonconductive rotatable alarm set disk is positioned withinthe case. The disk has an indicator marking on its top face and, on itsbottom face, a contact point and a circular contact track. The contactpoint is electrically connected to the contact track. The periphery ofthe disk comprises a toothed ring gear. A resilient member is mounted onthe movement to be in contact with the track. A movable alarm set stem,having a gear mounted thereon, is movable to mesh the mounted gear withthe ring gear and to rotate the disk so that the indicator marking onits top face can be selectively matched with any of the time markings onthe watch dial to set the alarm. An electric audible alarm, an energycell, a

rotatable hour wheel having a contact means thereon, the

spring and the contact point on the bottom face of the disk, constitutea normally open circuit. Means are provided for rotating the hour wheelto bring the contact means thereon into contact with the contact pointon the alarm set disk, thereby closing the circuit and activating thealarm.

Other objectives of the present invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description and the accompanying drawings, thedrawings being for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention and not for the purpose of limiting same. t

in the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the face ofa watch 1 incorporating thealarm-setting device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1-1 of FIG. 1looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 ofFIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a preferred embodiment of the alarm setdisk utilized in the alarm-setting device of the present invention.

According to preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown inFIG. 2, an electrically nonconductivc alarm set disk 1 having a centralhole 17 is rotatably mounted on the front frame 5 of a watch movement.The alarm set disk 1 may be made of any electrically intlulstivematerial but is preferably injection molded of a plastic material as,for stars pic, polystyrene or nylon. The alarm set disk 1 has, as anintegral portion, a toothed ring gear 2 at its periphery. The ring gear2 is preferably integral with the alarm set disk but may be a separatemcmberjoined to the disk. An indicator marking 6 is carried on a portion11 of the top face of the alarm set disk I. The indicator marking 6, forexample, can be etched into the top face portion 11 of the alarm setdisk I, mounted thereon with a suitable adhesive, or striped thereonwith any suitable marking material.

An alarm set stem 3 is movably mounted on the watch case. The stem maybe the same stem that is used to set the hands, or a different stem. Acircular gear 4 is mounted on the alarm set stem 3, although the gearcould be integral with the stem. The alarm set stem 3 is selectivelymovable to mesh the circular gear 4 with the ring gear 2 when it ispulled outwardly relative to the case. When the circular gear 4 ismeshed with the ring gear 2, the alarm set stem 3 can be rotated to turnthe alarm set disk I so that indicator marking 6 can be selectivelymatched with any of the time markings 7 on the face of the watch dial 8.The regular hands of the watch, namely, seconds hand 18, minute hand 19,and hour hand 20, cooperate with the markings '7 to indicate the time.

The alarm set disk 1 has a conductive contact point 9 mounted on abottom portion 10 of the alarm set disk I. The contact point 9 can bemounted at any point along the line defined between the center point ofthe rotatable hour wheel 16 and the end of the indicator point 6. Aconductive circular contact track i2 is also fixed on the bottom portion10 of the alarm set disk 1. Track 12 is electrically connected tocontact point 9 by path l3. This electrical connection is more clearlyillustrated in FIG. 4.

As is shown in FIG. 3, an electrically conductive resilient member 14 ismounted in the plastic insulative block 22. The member i4 iselectrically insulated from frame 5 by plastic block 22 and isconnected, by wire M, to the electric alarm. Block 22 is fixed to frame5. Member 14 is normally urged upward and in contact with the track 12.The resilient member 14 rides along the track 12 as the alarm set disk Iis rotated by the alarm set stem 3. The resilient member M is a hatspring made of spring steel, but other contact devices, such as aspring-loaded carbon brush or a spring-loaded ball, could alternativclybe used.

The gears of the watch includes a rotatable hour wheel 16 which carriesa protruding conductive contact point 15. An electric audible alarmdevice and an energy source, such as a battery cell (both of which arenot shown) constitute the remaining elements of the alarm circuit. Thealarm device and energy cell (both not shown) the spring 14, track 12,electrical path 13, contact point 9, contact point 15, hour wheel 16constitute together a normally open circuit. The alarm is set to ring ata desired hour by rotating the alarm set stem 3 to turn the alarm setdisk 1. The indicator marking 6 on the portion 11 of the top face of thealarm set disk 1 is caused to coincide with, or point to, the selectedhour marking 7 on the face of the watch dial 8.

in operation, the watchworks (not shown) rotate the hour wheel 16, withits contact point 15, through a circular path until the contact point 15makes contact with the contact point 9, thereby closing the circuit andactivating the alarm device. The circuitwill be closed twice a day ifthe alarm disk is not rotated. it should be noted that the alarm devicewill be automatically shut off by the continued rotation of the hourwheel. The hour wheel rotation moves the contact point 15 off of thecontact point 9, thereby reopening the circuit and shutting off thealarm.

lciaim:

1. An alarm-setting device for a horological movement, the movementincluding an electrically operated alarm, a source of electrical currentand a watch dial mounted on the movement, said dial having time markingsthereon; said setting evic c mprising:

marking on its top face, and a contact point and circular contact rackon its bottom face, said contact point being electrically connected tothe contact track, said disk also having a periphery which comprises atoothed ring gear;

an electrically conductive resilient member mounted on the movement andin contact with the track;

a movable alarm set stem having a gear mounted thereon, said alarm setstem being movable to mesh said mounted gear with said ring gear and torotate said disk so that the indicator marking on its top face can beselectively matched with any of the time markings on the watch dial toset the alarm;

a rotatable hour wheel having a contact means thereon;

said alarm, source of current, resilient member, contact point on thebottom face of the disk and said contact means on the rotatable hourwheel constituting a normally open circuit;

movement has a front frame and a back frame, said resilient member beingmounted on said from frame.

3. An alarm device as described in claim 2 wherein said disk has acentral hole and is positioned between the dial and the front frame ofthe movement. j

4. An alarm device as described in claim 3 wherein said dial isgenerally washer shaped and has a large central hole through which thetop ofthe disk may be viewed.

5. An alarm device as described in claim 1 wherein said resilient memberis a flat strip of spring metal mounted in an insulative block, saidblock being fixed to said movement.

1. An alarm-setting device for a horological movement, the movementincluding an electrically operated alarm, a source of electrical currentand a watch dial mounted on the movement, said dial having time markingsthereon; said setting device comprising: an electrically nonconductiverotatable alarm set disc positioned within the movement, said diskhaving an indicator marking on its top face, and a contact point andcircular contact rack on its bottom face, said contact point beingelectrically connected to the contact track, said disk also having aperiphery which comprises a toothed ring gear; an electricallyconductive resilient member mounted on the movement and in contact withthe track; a movable alarm set stem having a gear mounted thereon, saidalarm set stem being movable to mesh said mounted gear with said ringgear and to rotate said disk so that the indicator marking on its topface can be selectively matched with any of the time markings on thewatch dial to set the alarm; a rotatable hour wheel having a contactmeans thereon; said alarm, source of current, resilient member, contactpoint on the bottom face of the disk and said contact means on therotatable hour wheel constituting a normally open circuit; means forrotating the hour wheel to bring the contact means thereon into contactwith the contact point on the alarm set disk, thereby closing thecircuit and activating the alarm.
 2. An alarm device as described inclaim 1 wherein said movement has a front frame and a back frame, saidresilient member being mounted on said front frame.
 3. An alarm deviceas described in claim 2 wherein said disk has a central hole and ispositioned between the dial and the front frame of the movement.
 4. Analarm device as described in claim 3 wherein said dial is generallywasher shaped and has a large central hole through which the top of thedisk may be viewed.
 5. An alarm device as described in claim 1 whereinsaid resilient member is a flat strip of spring metal mounted in aninsulative block, said block being fixed to said movement.